Drug Monitoring is No Sweat with the Sweat Patch

If you’ve ever suspected your teen of drug abuse, you know it’s one of the most nervewracking experiences a parent can face. Things only get more complicated if you find out your suspicions are true. It’s difficult to wonder if your teen is doing drugs, but what do you do when drug abuse is confirmed? Luckily, there are tools that exist to help, like the sweat patch, which is a great new testing mechanism and drug deterrent for your teen.

What is the drug-testing sweat patch?

The sweat patch looks identical to any other topical patch worn on the body. Smokers may think it resembles a nicotine patch, older women may think it’s estrogen to help with menopause. In reality, it is a patch that collects sweat from the body and can be used to determine if the wearer has recently used drugs.

The patch is worn all day, every day, even while swimming or bathing. It adheres to the upper arm with a sticky plastic and each patch has a unique serial number. The number helps keeps track of the patient, and the patch is tamper-proof, so the results cannot be “lost.”

A trained clinician (like those from our drug testing lab) takes care of removing the patch and sending it to the lab for analysis. The collected sweat can be tested for drugs like cocaine, opiates, amphetamines, PCP, and marijuana.

Why choose the sweat patch over regular drug testing?

The sweat patch will survive any attempts at tampering, but it can also serve as a drug deterrent for your teen. Any attempts to remove or tamper with the patch will immediately let your teen know that they are not doing what they should. If your teen can remove the patch, the adhesive will not stick back to his or her skin. If he or she tries to swap out the patch with a new one, the serial numbers won’t match. The sweat patch forces your teen to consider his or her actions and make responsible choices.

Test Smartly Labs has seen many parents who appreciate the sweat patch because it provides a way to monitor their teens’ drug use, but it also forces their teen to think about their actions. A parent may not always understand why their teen is abusing drugs, but the sweat patch is a great way to get teens to stop.